Top 10 Most Disturbing Cartoon Characters PERIOD

#10: The Hash-Slinging Slasher

“SpongeBob SquarePants” (1999-)

Life can be terrifying in Bikini Bottom. To mess with SpongeBob, Squidward comes up with a tall tale about a psychotic former fry cook called the Hash-Slinging Slasher. Based on how Squidward describes him, he’s basically like an underwater Jason Voorhees. He’s a menacing figure that seeks to haunt the Krusty Krab every Tuesday night. Understandably, this terrifies SpongeBob when he finds out about him. We can’t really blame him, the guy’s tragic (yet slightly comedic) backstory is more than enough to inspire fear in the hearts of many. The fact that everyone was more scared of Hash than Nosferatu is also really saying something.

#9: The Red Guy

“Cow and Chicken” (1997-99)

This unhinged animal is like an absolute devil. His entire goal in life is to do nothing but torment Cow and Chicken. He’s a scheming, conniving, son of a gun. The lengths he’ll go to harass these characters are truly astonishing. He’s impersonated lunch ladies, cops, school principals, even royalty. He’s also prone to radical shifts in personality. One second he could be all laughs, the next he could be all screams. Red Guy is a mysterious character whose love of scams and penchant for mayhem make him somebody you don’t want to spend any time near. You know what? Forget about how we said he was “like a devil.” Red Guy might actually be the real deal.

#8: Bill Cipher

“Gravity Falls” (2012-16)

Let’s be real, triangles have never been scary before. That is until Bill Cipher came onto the scene. Don’t let appearances fool you. Just because he has the shape of a Cool Ranch Dorito doesn’t mean he can’t whoop your butt six ways from Sunday. This demonic oddball has brought hell to pretty much everywhere he’s been. He destroyed his own home known as the 2nd dimension and almost destroyed the entire world too. Cipher has placed Dipper, Mabel, and all of Gravity Falls through unimaginable pain. He’s such a powerful force with such a pottymouth sense of humor that just spells out chaos for everyone. When it comes to finding the most disturbing characters, Bill Cipher passes with flying colors.

#7: The Beast

“Over the Garden Wall” (2014)

Piercing white eyes, a slender frame covered entirely in silhouette, it’s details like this that make the Beast the stuff of nightmares. He’s an insanely creepy entity whose sole purpose in life is to turn two human brothers Gregory and Wirt into Edelwood. That type of tree acts as a special fuel for his lantern, so capturing these boys is a major obsession of his. Despite looking so ominous, the Beast is a cunning figure. He has an immense vocabulary and a knowledge of how people think, which allows him to manipulate others to do his bidding. The Beast is such an imposing figure that we hardly need to say anything else to justify why he’s so spooky. Just take one look and you’ll know!

#6: Koh the Face Stealer

“Avatar: The Last Airbender” (2005-08)

Gee, it’s hard to imagine a character being all sunshine and rainbows with a name like this. Koh the Face stealer is someone who’s, well, out to steal your face! You probably already figured that out by now. But beyond that, he’s a centipede-esque entity who poses a threat to all airbenders. If any show signs of emotion when in the presence of Koh, then he can take their face. This doesn’t necessarily kill them, but it places them in a weird purgatory where they’re neither dead or alive. Koh is always looking for fresh faces to steal, which means he’ll do anything he can to rile people up. So needless to say, this is one mischievous force you don’t want to cross.

#5: Mr. Pickles

“Mr. Pickles” (2013-19)

Anyone who meets this demented dog has it rough. Mr. Pickles is an extremely territorial pet who will go to great lengths to protect his family. He’s done all sorts of heinous things. So much so that we can’t even really get into all of the details because they’re that messed up. He might look like a cute dog but he really isn’t. In fact, he’s part of a whole bloodline of ruthless border collies that once enslaved a whole kingdom. Regular dogs can be scary enough if you get on their bad side, but if you get on Mr. Pickles’ bad side, you’re in for a whole other world of pain.

#4: The Lich

“Adventure Time” (2010-18)

This dude is easily one of the toughest villains that Jake and Finn have ever dealt with. A ghastly skeletal being, the Lich comes to represent death. He’s tried wiping out all of existence and came pretty darn close - succeeding in at least one universe. He’s caused great destruction for the land of Ooo and is directly responsible for possessing Princess Bubblegum and murdering Prismo. He’s an all-around bad guy and one of the show’s best portrayals of absolute evil. He really doesn’t have any goals or motivations beyond eradicating all of existence. Plus, he just looks super scary. Yeah, looks aren’t everything, but in the case of the Lich, they are.

#3: Mumm-Ra

“Thundercats” (1985-89)

It was pretty hard for cartoon characters from the 80s to not be super corny. Mumm-Ra managed to be an exception. The magic-wielding, bandage-wearing bad guy was a perfect foil to the ThunderCats. He was menacing, and the fact that he could change his form with a special spell made him a larger-than-life threat to his enemies. This was an immortal being with an ax to grind, not just some generic freak of the week. From an era of mustache-twirling villains, he was an evil force who terrified kids on Saturday mornings.

#2: Freaky Fred

“Courage the Cowardly Dog” (1999-2002)

This show has had a litany of characters that gave us the heebie-jeebies. Violin Girl, Katz the Red Devilish Feline, King Ramses, the list goes on. While they’re all still very nightmare-inducing, the one who stands out has got to be Freaky Fred. He’s a wacky dude who is utterly obsessed with shaving people. The freakiness doesn’t end there. He’s also got wild hair, crazy eyes, and a weird way of speaking. Everything about Fred is just, well, freaky! It’s literally in his name after all. We really can’t blame Courage for being so put off by this guy, because he’s pretty much a walking red flag.


Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Queen Slug-for-a-Butt, “Earthworm Jim” (1995-96)

Considering How She Acts, Her Name Is Appropriate

Scarecrow, “Batman: The Animated Series” (1992-95)

This Batman Villain Is Simply the Master of Fear

Ghostfreak, “Ben 10” (2005-08)

There’s a Reason Ben Tennyson Is Terrified of Transforming Into This Alien

Zim, “Invader Zim” (2001-06)

Whether It’s Organ Harvesting or Planet Invading, Zim Wants to Do It All

#1: Him

“The Powerpuff Girls” (1998-2005)

Though he might try and act sweet and kind, Him is actually rotten to his core. But you’d probably figure that out pretty quickly. The devilish red skin, unnervingly slender frame, and chilling voice are dead giveaways that something’s not quite right with this guy. In fact, Him is a demon with a taste for the theatrical. He’ll cause all kinds of destruction and put the Powerpuff Girls through Hell for his enjoyment. He’s not just some physically imposing villain. He’s a highly intelligent foe who psychologically tears people down rather than get his hands dirty. At the end of the day, there’s a true darkness inside of Him that few can compete with.


Is there an insidious cartoon character we missed? Share all of the bone-chilling details down in the comments!